Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



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Witnesses.

@QM l Ihvrrnn Sterns PATENT rtree.,

J. DUEELL GREENE, OF THE UNITED STATESARMY.

IMPRGVEMENT IN BREECH=LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. SLRAILPQ, datedFebruary 18, 186:2.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, J. DUEELL GREENE, of the United States Army, haveinvented certain Improvements in Breech-Loadi ng Fire` Arms, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, inwhich- Figure l is a plan; Figs. 2 and 3,1ongitudinal sections with theplunger in different positions, Fig. 4, a longitudinal section ofanother gun, to be referred to hereinafter.

My present invention relates to certain improvements on thebreech-loading gun for which Letters Patent of the United States weregranted me on the 17th of November, 1857; and it consists in attachingthe handlever by which the sliding and revolving breech-plug is operatedto the plunger which slides in the said breech-plug, so that the partsmaybe more conveniently manipulated.

That others skilled in the art may understand and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried out thesame.

Fig. 4 of the drawings represents a longi tudinal section of the gundescribed in the Letters Patent above referred to. In this it will beseen that the rod D, which carries at its front end the breech-plug E,and which slides in the plunger C, is much longer than the plunger, sothat when the latter is pushed forward into the position which it isintended to occupy when the gun is to be discharged, the rear end of therod D and its button F project back beyond the end of the plunger C,where the button F is in the way, and is liable to be caught in theclothes of the person using the gun, or to have the rod bent or brokenby accident.

In Figs. l, 2, and 3 is represented my improved gun. In this, as in theformer case, I use a cartridge of a peculiar construction, in which theball is placed to the rear ofthe powder, and a wad of felt or othersuitable material at the rear of the ball, it being intended that aftera discharge the ball which has been left in the gun, and which,together' with the wad behind it,has been used to pack the joint at therear end of the barrel7 shall be pushed forward into the barrel beforeanother cartridge is introduced. To the rear of the bore a the barrel IIhas formed in it a chamber, b, in which slides a plunger or breechplug,I, the front end, c, of which is conical, to fit a correspondingenlargement at the end of the bore a. This plunger has attached to it onopposite sides ears d, which enter corresponding recesses, e, madeinthesides of the chamber b,so that when the plungeris pushed forward, asin Fig. l, it may be allowed to turn on its axis. The rear face of eachof these ears d is inclined, (like a portion of a screwthread,) bywhich, as the plunger is turned, it is also forced forward to press thecone c into the bore a. There are also two recesses,

when the plunger is drawn fully back, as in Fig. 3, it may again berevolved a quarterturn, to bring the ears opposite two openings made inthe end of the barrel, by which the plunger is withdrawn from thechamber or is introduced into it. A cap, J, on the end of the plungerabuts against the end f of the barrel when the plunger is pushed in. Arod or piston, K, slides freely in the plunger I and has attached to itsrear end a hand-lever, L, which passes through and moves in a slot, g,in the plunger. A spring, h, is attached to the front side of thishand-lever and lbears against the rear end, f, of the barrel when theplunger and rod are revolved into the position shown in Fig. I,preventing any frivolous motion of the parts. A spring, k, attached tothe under side of the plate Z and operated by a button, m, carriesastop, a, which projects up through the barrel and is used to lock theplunger I in position. IVhen the plunger is drawn back, Fig. 3, thisstop n enters a notch, o, and requires to be depressed by pressing onthe button m before the plunger can be revolved to withdraw it from thechainber b. A hole is also made in one side of the plunger near its rearend, so that when it is pushed up and revolved, as in Fig. l, the stop awill enter the hole and lock the plunger in place. the barrel throughwhich to introduce the cartridge, and from it is continued out to therear end of the barrel a slot, r, in which the hand-lever L slides. Thecap .I also has a slot for the reception of this lever.

The following is the operation: The parts being in the position shown inFig. I, with a bullet left from the last discharged cartridge in therear end of the bore, (as represented by t', at the rear end ofthechamber b, so that i An opening, M, is made in the top of dotted linesat 19,)the button m is depressed to the breech-plug I, Where the wadserves to unlock the -plunger I, which is revolved by pack the joint atthe time-of the discharge of the hand-lever L'a quarter-turn, bringingthe lever opposite the slot r in the top of the barrel. The rod K is nowpushed forward, as shown in Fig. 2, thrusting the balls and Wad tfarther into the bore a. The rod is now drawn back into the positionrepresented in red in the same figure, with the hand-lever L against thecap J, When, by a continuation of this movement, the plunger I is dra-Wnback, as shown inV Fig. 3. A cartridge is nowr introduced through theopening M, and is thrust forward into the bore a by pushing forward theplunger I, the pressure being applied to the rear end ofthe cap J forthis movement. Next, the plunger is again revolved by thehand-lever Linto the position shown in Fig. 1, When the stop n locks it, and thepiece is ready to be discharged, the powder of this cartridgelying overthe nipple u, and its ball and Wad against the piece.

By attaching the hand-lever L to the rod K the parts may be moreconveniently operated, and a more compact and Workmanlike finish can begiven to the gun, While the objection of the projecting button F, beforespoken of, is avoided. y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the sliding and revolv ing plunger or breech-plug Iwith the rod K, when the hand-lever L, by which the breechplug isrevolved, is attached to the rod, as set forth. i

J. DURELL GREENE.

Witnesses:

SAM. COOPER, P. E. TEsoHEMAcHER.

